The redemption of Chris Matthews

I’ve criticized Chris Matthews plenty, but he’s been on a new tack lately, which I love. I think he actually realizes that if the Republicans keep the White House, democracy in this country is done for. This clip is from yesterday’s Hardball, with Chris talking with two Republicans: decrepit nutjob Pat Robertson and the sane though conservative Michelle Bernard.

The topic is whether questioning Sarah Palin’s qualifications is sexist, and whether the public has a right to ask tough questions (through the media), and politicians to answer those questions. Chris takes the pro side of the latter question. Pat has some other crazy ass idea about privilege and message control, and Michelle is, literally and figuratively, somewhere in between.

This is what Hardball should be all the time, but rarely has been — until recently. The video is 11 minutes long, but worth watching.